Every morning during the week there is a group of us that gather for coffee at Café Kolache in Beaver. As regular patrons there, we have a great rapport with the staff. If it’s a slow morning, one or another of the baristas may sit with us for a few minutes to join in the conversation of the day.
This
morning, our barista Lyndsey had a note in her hand that she wrote to give to
someone. One of our group noticed that it was hand-printed. He asked her why
she printed instead of writing? She replied that she didn’t write very well, so
she printed instead. This surprised me because Lindsey is an exceptionally
bright and talented young woman. She went on to explain that she only had to
take cursive writing up through third grade.I’ve heard several times over the past few years that schools are discontinuing teaching cursive. Call me old fashioned, but that just sets my blood to boiling.
I try to stay as technologically current as my senior brain will allow. However, I can see how technology is diminishing the personal touch of a handwritten note. People just don’t send many greeting cards anymore. They send e-cards. People don’t write thank you notes anymore. They send you an email. People don’t even write invitations anymore. They send e-vites. If we want a quick answer from someone, we instant message, Tweet, or text them. Do you want to know how your friend is doing? Check their Facebook page.
I read an article recently about college students related to writing, and I’m sure many are as bright as my friend Lindsey, but they admit that hand writing is difficult for them.
Here’s what I think (get ready because I’m climbing on my soap box): I think we are depriving students of one of the most aesthetically pleasing accomplishments of childhood. I remember making rocker and rainbow motions. I remember “round, round, ready-touch” as we oval-ed our full-motion arms across the pre-lined practice papers. For heaven’s sake, many of us remember the true privilege of learning to write with a real pen dipped in an inkwell! We’re not talking ancient days here. I was the proud recipient of more than one Peterson Penmanship certificates.
No one ever expected us to carry around a bottle of ink and pen tips. What they did expect of us was that we could write our grandma a thank-you card for the $1 she sent us on our birthday.
At the University of Portland, Richard S. Christen, an education professor says in an interview with The Oregonian, “Cursive writing in its flourishes and graceful strokes expresses an artistic beauty that goes beyond its utility and gives artistic experience to those who use it.”
I say AMEN to that Richard! Think about this--Where would we be if the signers of the Declaration of Independence didn’t know how to write? How could you recall the eye color of your first boyfriend without your teenage diary? Aren’t your husband’s love letters, your mother’s recipe cards, and your children’s Mother’s Day cards a treasure to you? Each time I hold one of those treasured documents in my hand, it fills me with love and memories.
Today’s generations store everything in the “cloud.” Meaningful messages are lost with every upgrade to the next, newest cellphone.
This lack of writing in the younger generations hurts me. Yes, I text, I type, I email. I receive texts, emails, and IMs. However, when I open the mailbox and find a hand-written greeting card or thank you note, that tells me that I’m special to the person who wrote it. They could have taken the easy way out, but they didn’t. They bought the card, wrote the message, wrote the envelope, put a stamp on it, and got it to the post office. To me, that means love and caring.
Here’s my challenge to you. Saturday, February 7th is NATIONAL SEND A CARD TO A FRIEND DAY. I swear there’s nothing in it for me. I’m not getting a kick-back from Hallmark.
Please don’t say you don’t have time. We all lead busy lives. On this one day, February 7th, just stop for a minute and send one card to one person. Buy it, make it, I don’t care what kind of card. Use a real pen, add some flourish to your name that only you can do with a nice fluid stroke. Just show someone you love them by making the time to take the time to do this.
After you do, please just take a minute to drop me a note. I won’t criticize you if you use the box at the right to shoot me an email. Please let me know if you sent a card, and if it was to a friend, your mom, your child, or if you left it for the mailman, or if handed a thank you note to someone in a random act of kindness.
I want to hear from wise women that feel the way I do about the power of pen.
If you know
someone who may enjoy this article, please forward to them. They and you are
welcome to join the conversation at wisewomenofage.blogspot.com
No comments:
Post a Comment